The invention relates to a system for controlling a vessel, which vessel is provided with:
propulsion means for propelling the vessel,
directional means for determining the direction in which the vessel is propelled, which system is provided with:
speed regulating means for influencing the propulsion supplied by the propulsion means,
steering means for influencing the directional means,
at least one or more navigational aids which provide those who are operating the speed regulating means and/or the steering means with data relating to the navigation.
The invention also relates to a system for controlling a vessel, which vessel is provided with:
propulsion means for propelling the vessel,
directional means for determining the direction in which the vessel is propelled, which system is provided with:
speed regulating means for influencing the propulsion supplied by the propulsion means,
steering means for influencing the directional means,
at least one or more sensors which provide information concerning the state of the propulsion means, for example number of revolutions, temperature, vibrations, position of the clutch (forward, neutral, reverse), oil level, cooling water pressure etc.
Such vessels are generally known and do not require any further explanation.
The propulsion means can be one or more azimuthal screw-propellers driven by one or more engines, one or more water jets driven by one or more engines, or other propulsion means known per se. The engines are, for example, internal combustion engines, such as gas turbines or diesel engines or electric motors etc.
The directional means can be formed by a rudder, but the direction of travel can often also be influenced by a nozzle of a water jet rotating about a vertical axis. All these and other means can be used within the scope of the invention.
The speed regulating means are often formed by a handle, a joystick, a slide control etc., by means of which an appropriate speed is set by moving an operating element to a particular position.
The steering means can be formed by a helm, a steering wheel, a joystick etc., by means of which an appropriate direction is set by moving an operating element to a particular position,
In general, the operating means will be designed in such a way that said means can remain independently in a certain desired position, while movement to another position by, for example, a navigating officer can easily be carried out and does not require any great effort.
The navigational means can be a wide variety of different types of apparatuses. Known ones are radio navigation systems such as GPS, LORAN, DECCA etc., by means of which the geographical position of the vessel can be determined. Other known systems are radar systems by means of which a picture of the surrounding area can be obtained on a display, showing, inter alia, the position of other ships in the surrounding area relative to one""s own vessel, but also the position of the coastline, the quayside, navigation channel marker buoys etc.
Other known means for determining position are electronic nautical charts (ECDIS system) and infrared and laser sensors for the detection of objects which are invisible to the radar system.
In addition, most vessels are equipped with sensors and meters for measuring and displaying the vessel""s own speed and direction. This data can, for example, be displayed on a screen together with geographical map information which is stored on a suitable memory medium and can be used by a computer for displaying a chart of the immediate surroundings containing an indication of the position and the course of the vessel itself.
It is possible to combine the data obtained from various systems in a display by means of which a navigating officer is informed so well and in as much detail as possible concerning the current position and course of the vessel and its surroundings. Examples from the prior art can be found in CA-2154199, DE 3400602, DE-29619839, GB-2025722, EP-0319395, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,052, U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,569 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,382.
Displays which require attention from the navigating officer are used in many of these known systems. While the navigating officer is concentrating on the display he cannot at the same time look outside and give attention to his surroundings. In order to eliminate this disadvantage, so-called head-up displays are already known, in which displays the windows through which the navigating officer looks out normally also serve as a projection screen. The navigating officer can then look out and at the same time observe information coming from the navigational equipment. Such head-up displays, which are suitable, inter alia, for nautical applications, are known from, for example, EP-0824216 and EP-0818701.
It is therefore possible to inform a navigating officer well, in each case in such a way that he can take the correct measures as regards course and speed for the purpose of safe navigation. Nevertheless, situations can arise in which the navigating officer for some reason or other takes a decision and correspondingly selects a speed or course which sooner or later is bound to lead to an undesirable or even dangerous situation.
It is also possible that the engine monitoring system may produce an alarm. In cases which are not so urgent such an alarm can be reacted to by, for example, lowering the propulsion speed, so that the engine in question does not have to supply so much power and can still remain in operation. In more serious forms of alarm it may be very desirable for one or more of the propulsion means to be stopped entirely. However, stopping one or more propulsion means can lead to more difficult or even totally impossible navigation. In such a case the crew will have to decide what should have priority: navigational safety or engine damage. In many cases, by limiting the propulsion power, it is still possible to guarantee navigational safety and possibly to limit the resulting damage.
The object of the invention is then to indicate the way in which a known system can be modified in such a way that, starting from the current situation (engine state and position), travelling on a course and/or at a speed which is likely to lead to undesirable or dangerous situations is prevented or rendered difficult.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a system for controlling a vessel, which vessel is provided with:
propulsion means for propelling the vessel,
directional means for determining the direction in which the vessel is propelled, which system is provided with:
speed regulating means for influencing the propulsion supplied by the propulsion means,
steering means for influencing the directional means,
at least one or more navigational aids which provide those who are operating the speed regulating means and/or the steering means with data relating to the navigation,
xe2x80x83characterized in that
the system is provided with means by which the data coming from the navigational means is used to determine areas where the vessel must not go, and in that
the speed regulating means or the steering means or both are provided with limiters by means of which the operation of the abovementioned means is rendered difficult if such operation would lead to the vessel moving in the direction of the abovementioned areas.
In this embodiment of the system special attention is paid to the course and the speed of the vessel. The object of the invention can also be achieved by a system for controlling a vessel, which vessel is provided with:
propulsion means for propelling the vessel,
directional means for determining the direction in which the vessel is propelled, which system is provided with:
speed regulating means for influencing the propulsion supplied by the propulsion means,
steering means for influencing the directional means,
at least one or more sensors which provide information concerning the state of the propulsion means, for example number of revolutions, temperature, vibrations, position of the clutch (forward, neutral, reverse), oil level, cooling water pressure etc.
xe2x80x83characterized in that
the system is provided with means by which) on the basis of the data coming from the abovementioned sensors, the operating conditions which the propulsion means must not reach are determined
the speed regulating means or the steering means or both are provided with limiters by means of which the operation of the abovementioned means is rendered difficult if such operation would lead to the propulsion means reaching the abovementioned operating conditions.
In this embodiment attention is paid in particular to the operating states of the propulsion means.
It will be clear that the invention can also be achieved by a system for controlling a vessel, which vessel is provided with
propulsion means for propelling the vessel,
directional means for determining the direction in which the vessel is propelled, which system is provided with:
speed regulating means for influencing the propulsion supplied by the propulsion means,
steering means for influencing the directional means,
at least one or more navigational aids which provide those who are operating the speed regulating means and/or the steering means with data relating to the navigation,
at least one or more sensors which provide information concerning the state of the propulsion means, for example number of revolutions, temperature, vibrations, position of the clutch (forward, neutral, reverse), oil level, cooling water pressure etc.
xe2x80x83characterized in that
the system is provided with means by which the data coming from the navigational means is used to determine areas where the vessel must not go, and in that
the system is provided with means by which, on the basis of the data coming from the abovementioned sensors, the operating conditions which the propulsion means must not reach are determined
the speed regulating means or the steering means or both are provided with limiters by which the operation of the abovementioned means is rendered difficult if such operation would lead to the vessel moving in the direction of the abovementioned areas and/or if the propulsion means reach the abovementioned operating conditions.
In this combined embodiment account is taken of not only the course and the position of the vessel, but also the operating states of the propulsion means.
The fact that the operation of the various course-determining and/or speed-determining means is rendered difficult or even impossible remakes clear to the navigating officer that his decision to travel on a certain course/at a certain speed was not (or not entirely) correct.
In a preferred embodiment the limiters ensure that the displacement, turning or other movement of the speed regulating means and/or the steering means past certain positions is partially impeded, so that the operative has to exert more force than normally. It remains possible in this embodiment to travel on an undesirable course/at an undesirable speed, but the navigating officer is clearly informed about the undesirability by the fact that it takes a great deal of effort to move the operating means into the corresponding position.
In another embodiment the limiters ensure that the displacement, turning or other movement of the speed regulating means and/or the steering means past certain positions is blocked. In this embodiment the navigating officer cannot therefore set some courses or speeds if the navigational means consider this undesirable. In order to ensure that it is still possible to intervene in exceptional cases, it is preferable to be able to switch off this mode.
It is also preferable if the means used to determine areas from the data coming from the navigational means into which the vessel must not go are provided with a display, by means of which the reasons for this decision are displayed in one way or another.